Cognitive Development theory of Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children move through
four different stages of learning. His theory focuses not only on understanding how
children acquire knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence

Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much
like little scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about
the world. As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new
knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to
accommodate new information.

Piaget proposed that intelligence grows and develops through a series of stages.
Older children do not just think more quickly than younger children. Instead, there
are both qualitative and quantitative differences between the thinking of young
children versus older children.

Piaget's stage theory describes the cognitive development of children. Cognitive

development involves changes in cognitive process and abilities.2 In Piaget's view,
early cognitive development involves processes based upon actions and later
progresses to changes in mental operations.

Sensorimotor stage: birth to age 2

During this earliest stage of cognitive development, infants and toddlers acquire
knowledge through sensory experiences and manipulating objects. A child's entire
experience at the earliest period of this stage occurs through basic reflexes, senses,
and motor responses.

Birth to 2 Years

Major characteristics and developmental changes during this stage:

 Know the world through movements and sensations

 Learn about the world through basic actions such as sucking, grasping,
looking, and listening
 Learn that things continue to exist even when they cannot be seen (object
permanence)
 Realize that they are separate beings from the people and objects around
them
 Realize that their actions can cause things to happen in the world around
them

During the sensorimotor stage, children go through a period of dramatic growth and
learning. As kids interact with their environment, they continually make new
discoveries about how the world works.
The cognitive development that occurs during this period takes place over a
relatively short time and involves a great deal of growth. Children not only learn how
to perform physical actions such as crawling and walking; they also learn a great
deal about language from the people with whom they interact. Piaget also broke this
stage down into substages. Early representational thought emerges during the final
part of the sensorimotor stage.

Preoperational stage: age 2 to 7

The foundations of language development may have been laid during the previous
stage, but the emergence of language is one of the major hallmarks of the
preoperational stage of development.3

2 to 7 Years

Major characteristics and developmental changes during this stage:

 Begin to think symbolically and learn to use words and pictures to represent
objects
 Tend to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspective of
others
 Getting better with language and thinking, but still tend to think in very
concrete terms

At this stage, kids learn through pretend play but still struggle with logic and taking
the point of view of other people. They also often struggle with understanding the
idea of constancy.

Children become much more skilled at pretend play during this stage of
development, yet they continue to think very concretely about the world around
them. This is stage is highlighted by symbolic function, Egocentrism, centration,
Irreversibility, Animism and transductive reasoning.

Concrete Stage: age 7to 11

While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this point in
development, they become much more adept at using logic. The egocentrism of the
previous stage begins to disappear as kids become better at thinking about how
other people might view a situation.

7 to 11 Years

Major characteristics and developmental changes during this stage:

 Begin to think logically about concrete events

 Begin to understand the concept of conservation; that the amount of liquid in a
short, wide cup is equal to that in a tall, skinny glass, for example
 Thinking becomes more logical and organized, but still very concrete
  Begin using inductive logic, or reasoning from specific information to a general
principle

While thinking becomes much more logical during the concrete operational state, it
can also be very rigid. Kids at this point in development tend to struggle with abstract
and hypothetical concepts.

During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how
other people might think and feel. Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin
to understand that their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else
necessarily shares their thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

Formal Operational : Age 11 and beyond

The final stage of Piaget's theory involves an increase in logic, the ability to use
deductive reasoning, and an understanding of abstract ideas.3 At this point,
adolescents and young adults become capable of seeing multiple potential solutions
to problems and think more scientifically about the world around them.

Age 12 and Up

Major characteristics and developmental changes during this time:

 Begins to think abstractly and reason about hypothetical problems

 Begins to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical, social, and political
issues that require theoretical and abstract reasoning
 Begins to use deductive logic, or reasoning from a general principle to specific
information

The ability to thinking about abstract ideas and situations is the key hallmark of the
formal operational stage of cognitive development. The ability to systematically plan
for the future and reason about hypothetical situations are also critical abilities that
emerge during this stage.

Piaget suggested several factors that influence how children learn and grow.

Schema

A schema describes both the mental and physical actions involved in understanding
and knowing, are categories of knowledge that help us to interpret and understand
the world.

In Piaget's view, a schema includes both a category of knowledge and the process of
obtaining that knowledge. As experiences happen, this new information is used to
modify, add to, or change previously existing schemas.
Assimilation

The process of taking in new information into our already existing schemas is known
as assimilation. The process is somewhat subjective because we tend to modify
experiences and information slightly to fit in with our preexisting beliefs. In the
example above, seeing a dog and labeling it "dog" is a case of assimilating the
animal into the child's dog schema.

Accommodation

Another part of adaptation is the ability to change existing schemas in light of new
information; this process is known as accommodation. 5 New schemas may also be
developed during this process.

Equilibrium

As children progress through the stages of cognitive development, it is important to

maintain a balance between applying previous knowledge (assimilation) and
changing behavior to account for new knowledge (accommodation).

Piaget believed that all children try to strike a balance between assimilation and
accommodation using a mechanism he called equilibration. Equilibration helps
explain how children can move from one stage of thought to the next.3

Piaget did not view children's intellectual development as a quantitative process.

That is, kids do not just add more information and knowledge to their existing
knowledge as they get older.

Instead, Piaget suggested that there is a qualitative change in how children think as
they gradually process through these four stages. At age 7, children don't just have
more information about the world than they did at age 2; there is a fundamental
change in how they think about the world.
Moral development Theory of Lawrence Kohlberg

Kohlberg's theory of moral development is a theory that focuses on how children

develop morality and moral reasoning. Kohlberg's theory suggests that moral
development occurs in a series of six stages and that moral logic is primarily focused
on seeking and maintaining justice.
6 Stages of Lawrence Kohlberg Theory of Moral development
Level Stages Description
Preconventional Level Punishment/Obedience… 
Moral reasoning is 1 Motivated by fear
based on the  Act in order to avoid
consequence/result of punishment.
the act, not on the
whether the act itself Mutual Benefit…
is good or bad  Motivated to act by the benefit
2 that one may obtain later
Conventional Moral 3 Social Approval…
reasoning is based on  Motivated by what others
the conventions or expect in behavior-good boy,
“norms” of society. good girl
This may include
approval of others,  Person acts because he/she
laws and order. values how he/she will appear
to others.
  Gives importance on what
people will think or say
Post –conventional 4 Law and Order…
Moral reasoning is  Motivated to act in order to
based on enduring or uphold law and order.
consistent principles.  Follow the law because it is
It is not just the law
recognizing the law,
but the principles Social Contract…
behind the law 5  Laws that are wrong can be
changed

 One will act based on social

justice and the common good.

Universal Principles…

 Associated with the

6 development of one’s
conscience
 Having a set of standards that
drives one to possess moral
responsibility to make societal
changes regardless of
consequences to oneself. 
Examples: Mother Teresa
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Preconventional Level

Preconventional morality is the earliest period of moral development. It lasts until

around the age of 9. At this age, children's decisions are primarily shaped by the
expectations of adults and the consequences of breaking the rules. There are two
stages within this level: the Punishment/obedience stage and stage 2 Mutual Benefit.

Conventional
The next period of moral development is marked by the acceptance of social rules
regarding what is good and moral. During this time, adolescents and adults
internalize the moral standards they have learned from their role models and from
society.

This period also focuses on the acceptance of authority and conforming to the norms
of the group. There are only 1 stages at this level of morality: The Social approval
stage

Post-conventional

At this level of moral development, people develop an understanding of abstract

principles of morality. The three stages at this level are: the law and order, Social
Contract, and Universal Principles.

Piaget’s Cognitive development theory and Kohlberg Moral development

Theory has a difference on there:

Focus, Piaget's theory primarily focuses on cognitive development, which

refers to how individuals think, acquire knowledge, and understand the world around
them. In contrast, Kohlberg's theory focuses on moral development, which explores
how individuals develop their sense of right and wrong and make moral judgments.

Age Ranges, Piaget's theory covers the entire lifespan, from infancy to
adulthood, and emphasizes different cognitive abilities at each stage. In contrast,
Kohlberg's theory primarily focuses on moral development during childhood and
adolescence, although he proposed the possibility of further moral development in
adulthood.

Lastly, Developmental Domains, Piaget's theory encompasses various

domains of cognitive development, including sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete
operational, and formal operational stages. On the other hand, Kohlberg's theory
specifically focuses on moral reasoning and the development of moral values and
principles.

The two theories can be applied in a practical setting such as education and
Parent, through these principles
Creating a Nurturing Environment, Piaget and Kohlberg emphasize the
significance of a supportive and nurturing environment for children's development.
Educators and parents can create such an environment by fostering open
communication, promoting respect and empathy, and providing opportunities for
children to express their thoughts and feelings. This helps children feel safe to
explore cognitive and moral concepts and encourages their growth in these areas
 Integration of Cognitive and Moral Development the theories emphasize the
importance of cognitive and moral development in children. Educators and parents
can integrate these two aspects by creating learning experiences that promote
critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical decision-making. This can be done by
incorporating moral dilemmas and discussions into the curriculum or engaging in
moral reasoning conversations with children.
Scaffolding and Guidance, both theories recognize the role of guidance and
support in children's development. Educators can provide scaffolding by breaking
down complex cognitive tasks or moral dilemmas into smaller, manageable steps.
Parents can offer guidance by discussing moral situations, modeling ethical
behavior, and providing opportunities for children to practice moral reasoning.

Developmentally Appropriate Practices, Piaget and Kohlberg theories

highlight the importance of considering a child's stage of development when
designing educational activities or addressing moral issues. Educators and parents
should tailor their approaches to match the cognitive and moral abilities of the child.
This ensures that the content and expectations are suitable and promote optimal
growth in both areas.

By applying these principles in education and parenting, we can create

environments that support children's cognitive and moral development. This
integration helps children develop critical thinking skills, ethical decision-making
abilities, and a strong foundation for their overall growth and well-being.